Exclusive News: Guitar Hero: Nirvana and The Beatles: Rock Band

As the Guitar Hero and Rock Band universes expand, new details have emerged about the two latest editions; Guitar Hero: Nirvana and The Beatles: Rock Band


For the first time ever, Guitar Hero: Nirvana will include special instruments and features that are exclusive to the title. Included with the game will be a .12 gauge shotgun controller so that players can now commit suicide when the bands "fame" meter becomes too high to handle. This new "fame" meter will increase with each successfully completed song until it reaches a red zone. When the red zone is reached, the Kurt Cobain avatar will inject cocaine into his veins and wait for the player to pull the shotgun trigger, thus earning the player a game over.

Other features include a "bitch slap Courtney Love" mini game and an "intervention" feature. The intervention feature consists of a thirty minute break from playing music while band members and friends try and coax Cobain to give up drugs. This intervention feature happens every 2 successfully completed songs and makes up roughly 75% of game play.


The Beatles: Rock Band, which will be released September 9th, is the first time the Rock Band series has expanded beyond a numerical determinant, featuring multiple bands, into a single band format. The Beatles: Rock Band will feature over 30 songs, however most of the game play will instead focus on the "inner workings" of the legendary rock group the Beatles. Features include a random "quit" variable which causes a random group member to quit the band at any given point during the game. This causes the corresponding controller to go dead until the member can be convinced to rejoin the band.

Another new option in the game is the ability to perform and create "on drugs." Money earned during the performances can be used to purchase over 50 different real life drugs including heroin, LSD, acid and marijuana. Using the drugs during shows can cause different effects, from a "fuzzy" screen to the notes being reversed. Players also have the ability to "spike" their opponents characters in order to make the game more challenging. The drugs also play a key part in completing the game. Unlike the other versions of Rock Band, not all the songs can be unlocked by simply finishing all the songs, instead certain songs can only be unlocked by using certain combinations of drugs, thus releasing the "creative" energies needed to "write" the songs.

Other lesser options include a "Ridicule Ringo" mini game, in which the goal is to make him realize that he has very little talent and is basically just living off the other members genius and a Yoko Ono Band Destroyer.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Today on the RollingScone, an Editorial... from Satan!

Lucifer D. Satan here, (the D stands for Delightful!). Today I would like to talk to you, dear RollingScone readers, about something that has been bugging me lately: the lack of props that have been shown to me in recent years. Doesn't anyone remember the good ol' days when artists were selling their souls to me left and right just for the opportunity to write a killer rock song. Robert Johnson, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Monkee's; all wrote I.O.U's that their asses are gonna be cashin real soon. (Well except for the Stones, I gave them immortal life.) I used to get respect from the Blues community, they knew that I was the source of all their howlin' and pickin'. But today, nothing! You think Britney Spears sold out for all that "talent?" of course not, that's all Louisiana home cookin' right there. I mean I gave Axl Rose his soul back after the Use Your Illusion tour and look what happened, 13 damn years and all we got was Chinese Democracy? Good Lord! And don't think I haven't noticed all you heathens mocking me in your movies and TV shows.

First off, to Ralph "Karate Kid" Macchio, yeah you were great in Karate Kid, but there's no way you could handle what my shits bringin'. I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back, blindfolded while making out with Jamie Gertz. I love that one of my clients, Stevie Vai, played me in the movie, he's a real B.A. but c'mon! RALPH MACCHIO, and he didn't even have Pat Morita or that hot Shue girl to root him on. I definitely woulda put him in a body bag. Notice to Charlie Daniels, even if I did play the fiddle, which I don't 'cuz it's gay, I would still be able to kick your ass. Will Farrell and Garth Brooks, What The F!!!. You wanna compare songs? How bout Stairway to Heaven, Hey Jude, Sympathy for the Devil. I almost shit a brick when I saw that "skit." I'm the Devil, I think I know how to rock. And P.S. see you guys in about a week.

I don't even get my name in the liner notes anymore. At least Zeppelin gave me a shout out if you play Zeppelin IV backwards. And I'm pretty sure I made it into a few song lyrics back in the 70's. Chris Brown may be beating Rihanna in my name, but he sure ain't shoutin' my praises in his damn liner notes, or on Entertainment Tonight. Well whatever, I don't need any of your acknowledgements, I'll see you all soon anyway, when you're burning in hell!